Tagging of articles for identification and/or theft protection is known. For instance, many articles are identified using a bar code comprising coded information which is read by passing the bar code within view of a scanner. Many articles also include a resonant tag for use in theft detection and prevention. More recently, passive resonant tags which return unique or semi-unique identification codes have been developed. These tags typically include an integrated circuit (IC) which stores the identification code. Such "intelligent" tags provide information about an article or person with which the tag is associated which is detected in the zone of an interrogator or reader. The tags are desirable because they can be interrogated rapidly, and from a distance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,447 (Carney et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,441 (Bickley et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,263 (Carroll et al.) disclose three examples of such intelligent tags.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags or cards generally include a resonant antenna circuit electrically connected to the IC. The IC is essentially a programmable memory for storing digitally encoded information. The interrogator (transmit antenna) creates an electromagnetic field at the resonant frequency of the RFID tag. When the tag is placed into the field of the interrogator, an AC voltage is induced in the resonant antenna circuit of the tag, which is rectified by the IC to provide the IC with an internal DC voltage. As the tag moves into the field of the interrogator, the induced voltage increases. When the internal DC voltage reaches a level that assures proper operation of the IC, the IC outputs its stored data. To output its data, the IC creates a series of data pulses by switching an extra capacitor across the antenna circuit for the duration of the pulse, which changes the resonant frequency of the tag, detuning the tag from the operational frequency. That is, the tag creates data pulses by detuning itself, which changes the amount of energy consumed by the tag. The interrogator detects the consumption of energy in its field and interprets the changes as data pulses.
Although such RFID tags or cards are known, there are still technical difficulties and limitations associated with the operation of such tags. One problem with attempting to read multiple RFID tags within an interrogation zone of the interrogator is that more than one tag may be activated by the interrogator at about the same time. When such tags are located proximate to each other, the fields generated by one tag can disturb the fields generated by another tag. This problem of mutual inductance is especially significant for RFID tags which transmit their information by detuning, as described above. As a consequence, the effective reading distance drops and the modulation of the tag can become completely ineffective due to the fact that such modulation depends upon the tag being in resonance (or close to it). Thus, such detuning caused by other tags can make the reading of stored information impossible or nearly impossible.
Yet another problem often encountered when reading intelligent tags or cards is a large variation in the received power, for instance, when the tag nears the power transmit antenna of the interrogator. As the tag approaches the transmit antenna, the received power increases, which can cause problems due to excessive voltage or power dissipation and, because of a decrease in tag Q, an inability to sufficiently modulate the tag with the data using the aforementioned detuning approach. Such detuning or modulation problems increase the difficulty of correctly reading the tag.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method of preventing RFID tags from generating fields which disturb or affect other nearby resonant cards or tags. There is further a need for an RFID tag whose operation is not adversely affected by large variations in received power. The present invention fulfills these needs.